How vigilant are you when it comes to the TDS of your RODI water?

[reefVeXx]

What’s TDS I don’t make salt water I use all ocean water 100%,,, does it have TDS ???? I’m

Boxed ocean water?

 

[Doglips56]

TDS = Total Dissolved Solids



1. How vigilant are you when it comes to RODI TDS and keeping your numbers around zero? Extremely, we check the TDS every time we make RODI. Haven’t ever had a number above 0 but at about 8 mos with our BRS 3 stage and about to replace all filters

2. What is the maximum TDS number you are comfortable with? zero

 

[Topreefer92]

I have never reached one tds. But I am taking much longer in flush time before tds hits 0 after di. I'm looking into removing my space save di and getting 2stage spectra pure di stages

I got the spectra pure unit after replacing my old one. Have to say there specific in house di resins they use and pack are amazing. Last way longer!

 

[WvAquatics]

I got the spectra pure unit after replacing my old one. Have to say there specific in house di resins they use and pack are amazing. Last way longer!

Yeah I'm looking into their two top di but it's 110 just for the filters and I need the housing also.

 

[olidaniels]

I’m probably less picky than a lot of people. I tend to hover between 1-4 tds. But I also don’t have a built in tds meter. And that 1-4 tds could easily come from the container I put the water into to test. You leave 0 tds water in a brand new food grade bucket with no lid. You’ll be up to 15 tds in 24 hours. This is the reason the 1-4 doesn’t bother me. If a bucket just sitting there can gain that much tds in 24 hours. There no way I can accurately test tds. That tds could Be coming from my mixing barrel, some dust in the air, the actual rodi lines.

I have a suspicion that some bacteria may be left in the water after filtration, and going from 250tds to pure rodi probably kills some bacteria off. Leading to a bit of tds in the water.

this is true- TDS increase when stored. However I think there’s a very big difference from the TDS we filter out from tap water to what is dissolved from the mixing barrels/air the latter being a lot less damaging to marine corals

 

[robert teseo]

zero, why else have the system? when it goes to 1 i change the resin.

 

[Everything Aquatics]

I don’t own a ro system but I get lab grade water, so tds isn’t much of a problem

 

[Biokabe]

TDS = Total Dissolved Solids

Happy Monday and let's talk TDS! For me if feels like I am always chasing zero when it comes to the TDS of my RODI water for water changes and especially top off water. But how concerned should I be and if zero isn't critical what is an acceptable number? Let's talk about it today!

"Sometimes tap water contains potential contaminants (such as phosphates or trace metals) which might be safe for human consumption, but could have detrimental effects on your aquarium life. For this reason many hobbyists use reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) filters on their source water. RODI filters can be a very effective way of removing contaminants from your aquarium. Although using a RODI system is simple, many factors can limit their effectiveness. Range and accuracy are critical aspects for instruments used for measurements in pure water applications. In order to measure the effectiveness of your RODI filter, many units have built in total dissolved solids or TDS meters." Excerpt via an awesome article by Marine Depot.

1. How vigilant are you when it comes to RODI TDS and keeping your numbers around zero?

2. What is the maximum TDS number you are comfortable with?

It's simple for me. I'm very vigilant for my TDS... 0 is the maximum number I'm comfortable with. I have copper piping in my house, and occasionally copper does get into my water. If I keep my TDS at 0 and run Cuprisorb in my sump, I can prevent the copper from building up in my tank. If I don't, then the Cuprisorb isn't enough and the copper can eventually build up.

This isn't just an idle speculation for me; I've actually had copper build up and kill my inverts before I realized what had happened and where the copper was coming from. So I like to eliminate at least one source of tank crash... my own bumblings are enough threat without adding copper to the mix!

 

[Jfast]

Honestly once I see 1 tds I start ordering filters an DI resin.. I run a 8 stage two different micron sediment filters, 3 different carbon filters, membrane filter, an two di resin , booster pump running 60 psi ....!it last almost a year before changing..haven’t had good luck years ago when I used water 1-20 tds . To me zero is the way to go I want nothing in my water and the corals have never been happier

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

My RODI system gets between 65-70 psi with TDS 220. After RO I am at about 9-11 but I have seen it dip to 6. I am contemplating a booster pump to get to 90 (what is the ideal PSI?). How significant of a change would this make in TDS reduction?

If you took your water pressure from 70 psi to 90 psi at the membrane, you would see very little (probably less than 0.5%) change. Here's some sample data from a Filmtec membrane run at various pressures to help explain:

 

[JumboShrimp]

For my FOWLER I use a BSR 6-stage with a booster pump; when TDS gets to 3 I order new cannisters, but with a FOWLER I'm sure I wouldn't freak-out even at 5.

 

[MichaelReefer]

My RODI system gets between 65-70 psi with TDS 220. After RO I am at about 9-11 but I have seen it dip to 6. I am contemplating a booster pump to get to 90 (what is the ideal PSI?). How significant of a change would this make in TDS reduction?

Honestly, I got a booster pump and for me its more of how fast I make water than how clean it is. I made 0 TDS either way, but I literally DOUBLED how fast I make water from before the pump. I am probably around 200 gallons a day. I only had 40PSI from the pipe, and am over 80 with the pump.

 

[piranhaman00]

If you took your water pressure from 70 psi to 90 psi at the membrane, you would see very little (probably less than 0.5%) change. Here's some sample data from a Filmtec membrane run at various pressures to help explain:

Thanks for posting that data!

 

[frank10]

It's easy to get zero on the tds meter. I use two DI filters, when one colors out, it gets swapped and refilled

 

[jeffrey750750]

I only run 0 tds water, after having issues in the past ill never do that again. I run the 7 stage brs rodi

 

[Jax15]

ZERO-POINT-ZERO. The most successful reefers I follow on YouTube all seem to be super careful about their RO quality, and I'm the same. I live in a city with lots of chlorine/chloramines, so who knows what's in that 1 TDS? Nothing good, I'm sure.

I change filters based on timeframe and gut feeling. Probably spend more on filters than I have to, but it's really a drop in the bucket compared to my overall reefing expenses!

 

[gary henkel]

TDS = Total Dissolved Solids

Happy Monday and let's talk TDS! For me if feels like I am always chasing zero when it comes to the TDS of my RODI water for water changes and especially top off water. But how concerned should I be and if zero isn't critical what is an acceptable number? Let's talk about it today!

"Sometimes tap water contains potential contaminants (such as phosphates or trace metals) which might be safe for human consumption, but could have detrimental effects on your aquarium life. For this reason many hobbyists use reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) filters on their source water. RODI filters can be a very effective way of removing contaminants from your aquarium. Although using a RODI system is simple, many factors can limit their effectiveness. Range and accuracy are critical aspects for instruments used for measurements in pure water applications. In order to measure the effectiveness of your RODI filter, many units have built in total dissolved solids or TDS meters." Excerpt via an awesome article by Marine Depot.

1. How vigilant are you when it comes to RODI TDS and keeping your numbers around zero?

2. What is the maximum TDS number you are comfortable with?


image via @mfinn

i just recently changed my whole rodi system to make it much more maintenance friendly. i am using aqualifes smart buddy pump and aqualifes twiston cartridge system with dual membranes and dual di filters and tds metering as you show above to feed my water mixing system. i can refill my 50 gallon rodi reservoir in less than 8 hours. every time i move a batch of rodi water over, i check the tds meter. i can change filters in a minute if the last reading is not zero

 

[ChicagoReef]

5 Stage - about 170TDS from tap. Measure from TAP, pre RI, and Post RI. Always use zero. Usually about 4 from RO on the way to DI. Have a BRS 5 stage.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

My faucet water TDS varies in the summer and winter. In the winter it is 3. In the summer it is max 8. Do I need a RO unit for my coral? I currently have a BRS 6 stage that always produces 0 TDS.

The water out of the faucet states terrible.. the RO unit is just as much for us as it is for the coral.

 

[zipperbaum]

It may be helpful to have a little more info: How much water are you making, how often. How big is your tank and it is a REEF or FOWLR;

I have 2 500 gallon tanks, one of each and need to make a ton of water. I shoot for 0 but I have a 200 water gallon tank so if it hits 1 or 2 for a bit it will be a drop in the bucket for the amount I hold. Two things have made a big difference for me. A booster pump paid for itself in a year. Also, I put shutoff values both before and after the system. For some reason, my colors would go brown JUST sitting there making no water. The only guess I have is there may have been some oxygen exchange hurting me because it stopped when I turn the values off when not using.